Blake Dean (28) is an explosive cricketer whose exploits in Grade cricket and for the ACT Comets (Futures League) culminated with a Sydney Thunder debut in December 2013. He played a solitary match in the Big Bash against the Sydney Sixes, but wasn’t included for the 2014/15 edition, despite stand-out performances for his grade club, in-particular.

Playing his first season Weston Creek Molongo, Dean enjoyed a magnificent summer helping the club to ACT Premier Cricket’s Gallop Cup title. His efforts in the Grand Final were truly spectacular – a 10 wicket haul, including figures of 7-48 (22.4) in the first innings, followed by a quite remarkable 42-ball 81 taking his side to an innings victory.

Dean finished the season as ACT Premier Cricket’s first grade leading run-scorer (944 runs at 55.33) and sixth leading wicket-taker (30 wickets at 20). His run tally over the season was scored in destructive fashion, all with a strike rate of 132.77, including 3 centuries. In all major first grade competitions across the country, Dean finished fourth on the run charts, had one of the highest strike rates to include 24 sixes – 1 shy of the leading boundary clearer.

Dean is a proven all-rounder who was previously on the Renegades reserve list before gaining Thunder selection in 2013. He has generated exposure courtesy of his performances at club level initially for the University of New South Wales in Sydney (2008/09, 2009/10), then Canberra club's Queanbeyan (2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14), Tuggeranong Valley (2012/13) and of course, last season with Weston Creek Molongo (2014/15).

Dean’s previous club highlights include 102 for UNSW vs. Parramatta, before his move to Canberra in 2010/11, where he took 32 wickets at 17.63.

He then enjoyed a barnstorming 2011/12 season, hitting 828 runs at 31.85 and taking 35 wickets at 21.14 to help his Queanbeyan side win each of the four competitions (Two-Day, One-Day, T20 and SCG Cup). Dean was instrumental in their Two-Day Grand Final triumph. Batting 7, he entered the crease at 87-5 and scored a wonderful 130 from 191 balls as Queanbeyan posted 394 in the first innings.

Dean also picked up 7 Futures League wickets for the ACT Comets, whilst also striking a 31-ball 50 against New South Wales Under-23s.

In 2012/13, he made the move to Tuggeranong Valley where he continued to excel in first grade cricket, hitting 677 runs at 33.85, taking 30 wickets at 17.67 and the performance of the year, his breath-taking 163 vs. Weston Creek Molonglo. His bowling continued to go from strength-to-strength, picking up another 8 wickets at 18.25 for the Comets, including a best bowling of 4-40 against Victoria.

The following season, he returned to Queanbeyan to churn out another 735 runs at 36.75 alongside 42 wickets at 20.93 before heading to the UK for a third season in 2014, following previous stints with Hambledon (2009) and Carlton (2010).

He played a quite sensational season in the North Wales ECB Premier League for Bangor striking 8 centuries and 6 fifties amongst his 1,423 runs with a remarkable average of 101.64. In doing so, he broke the run scoring record held by Andy Flower, set back in 1999. Dean also pitched in with 25 wickets at 20.96 with his leg-spin and has been touted as one of, if not the best overseas player to play in North Wales in recent history.

The former Big Bash all-rounder was a revelation in Wales and is now hoping, fresh from his exploits home and abroad, that he'll go onto higher honours in Australia before contemplating a return to Northern shores in 2016.